Dublin postboxes painted the same red as 100 years ago

Ten postboxes in Dublin have had their signature green colour repainted red for an An Post initiative to mark the centenary of the 1916 Rising.

The GPO Witness History campaign will use postboxes at a number of landmark sites, in conjunction with free video links, to tell a series of stories about the events of one hundred years ago.

Located at Grafton Street, the Royal College of Surgeons, St Stephen’s Green, Liberty Hall, Dun Laoghaire pier and Mount Street, the postboxes have been re-painted red to reflect their colour in 1916. They were launched last Monday, and can be viewed by visitors to the capital until May.

Each post box has a keyword which can be texted for free, before a video link is transferred to the person’s phone. This plays a specially commissioned short video of the events that took place at the exact spot in which they’re standing.

A question posed at the end of each video further engages the viewer with the story they have just witnessed.

An Post spokesperson, Anna McHugh said: “The “Witness History” postbox campaign is a new way of telling the story of the 1916 Rising.

“While names such as James Connolly and Joseph Plunkett will be familiar to many of us, we are also seizing this opportunity to share the lesser known stories such as that of the extraordinary Margaret Skinnider who valiantly defended her rebel position from the Royal College of Surgeons”. The postboxes will remain as full working postboxes throughout with regular scheduled collection and clearing.